Training & Riding

I know you are probably tired of hearing from me by now but I have a question. I'm not concerned about this but find it unusual as does everyone I ride with. Everytime I go riding with Lightfoot, he has to urinate. He usually does it in the same few areas.

In this third installment of horsemanship tips, I want to talk about the first steps up to the cone and the start of your pattern. The first things that I look for (other than what we discussed in earlier articles), is for proper adjustment of tack, equipment, and communication between horse and rider. Some obvious issues are: incorrect bridle adjustment and cinches not tightened up and tucked away

In this second installment we are going to get into proper equipment, tack, and attire. Saddles, bridles and tack are the next thing we notice when an exhibitor walks into the ring. I am not one who likes tons of silver and who bought the most expensive saddle.

How do I give my horsemanship patterns a polished look that can win? What are the first things that catch your eye as a judge?

Do you have trouble stopping your horse? Do you brace against your stirrups while pulling back on the reins? Does your horse fall forward when you move off? You may be doing too much with your arms and not enough with your seat. Stabilizing your elbows by your sides may be the answer.

Dear Trainer, I have a 6 year old gelding that will not let me use the clippers on him. He acts like he is scared of them. I keep working with him slowly, and now he will let me clip his muzzle. But he still will not let me clip any further than that.

by Eleanor Blazer The horse lunged on the longe line. He would have rather been lounging as his lungs were lumbering. I got to thinking about the different spellings for longe. I gave Gord Wadds, author and instructor of the online course "Competitive Longe Line", a call to see if he could give me some insight.Gord told me Americans spell it "longe" and in Great Britain it’s spelled "lunge"....

by Charles Wilhelm Over the last 15 years I have worked with a number of blind horses, probably three or four dozen. Most have been blind in one eye, some totally blind.

If you've ever had a horse swing its body away from you or begin to walk off while you were trying to mount, you probably remember just how annoyed you were and how insecure you felt. If your horse moves off before you're in the saddle and ready to go, there can be several possible reasons for his action. Here are some tips to help you analyze and solve your problem.